"Yeah, of course - that's what people want to think," Quesada told the Los Angeles Times.

"But let's be clear: The DC relaunch is a response to everything Marvel's been doing, and not the other way around. You don't set fire to your entire house for no good reason.

"And by the way, I tip my hat to them. They did something daring and it worked for them. They boosted sales of some of their books. But Avengers vs. X-Men is something that's been on our docket for publishing for several years now."

Quesada said that the groundwork for the Phoenix's return in the summer event has been laid over the last "three to four years", including the evolution of Cyclops's character and the introduction of Hope.

Marvel Comics will be previewing Avengers vs. X-Men at WonderCon in Anaheim on March 17.